Aberystwyth (132) lost to Aberaeron (136-5) by 5 wkts

West Wales Conference

Aberaeron launched their 2023 West Wales Cricket Club Conference campaign with a battling win in a low scoring match, with Hywel Rees dominating affairs with bat and ball, writes Arif Saad.

A wet April and early May led to a slightly greener tinged track than had been customary at the Geufron and in overcast and breezy conditions, Hywel Rees elected to bowl first having won the toss.

Aberystwyth captain Jim Vaughan headed up a very experienced batting line up and took to middle with Anthony Burrell. The Aberaeron pace attack of Simon Mitchell and Steff Rees exploited some early swing with the new ball, Steff bringing one back into Burrell on his second ball faced, in the fourth over, to have him bowled for 0.

Despite the early breakthrough, the pitch didn’t seem to be providing much pace or bounce and Gareth Lanagan and Vaughan settled into a comfortable rhythm, rotating the strike with good running between the wickets. Lanagan was the freer scoring of the pair and was beginning to look dangerous, having found the boundary on three occasions as he took his score into the 20s and the Aberystwyth score to 50.

The change bowlers, Hywel Rees and Paul Hughes, however, found greater assistance from a slightly tacky surface nibbling the ball about on a probing length. Rees finally snuck one past Vaughan’s defence, trapping him LBW for a solid 21. It was the fielding however with two fine catches, that turned the match in Aberaeron’s favour.

Rees struck again in his next over with the crucial wicket of Lanagan, a rare short ball pulled straight to the deep mid wicket fielder Kevin Regan, who held a confident catch. Then Hughes removed Mel Jones for 7 soon after, a lofted drive to long on taken brilliantly by Steff Rees on the run.

Having been comfortable at 50-1, Aberystwyth were suddenly rocking, three quick wickets leaving them 59-4. With Iwan and Steff Roberts and Peter Loxdale in the middle order there was no need for panic yet.

Iwan Roberts looked comfortable as he found the gaps with regularity, but Steff Roberts found the nagging line and length from Paul Hughes harder to get away and eventually succumbed to one which kept low and bowled him off his pads, for 4.

In the next over Hywel hammered home the advantage, first bowling Loxdale for 0 then having Omair Syed caught off a leading edge by Simon Mitchell at mid-on, also for 0, to leave the Aberystwyth innings teetering at 67-7 at drinks.

Noa Jones and Iwan Roberts set about rebuilding the innings after the break, with the first goal to see off Hywel and Paul Hughes, who’d caused so much damage in tandem. They almost succeeded, until the final ball of Hywel’s spell trapped Noa in front of the stumps, out LBW for 3. Rees finished with figures of 5-28, an ageless bowling performance supported by the equally evergreen Hughes who had 2-18.

With Iwan Roberts still at the crease and new player Michele Watson settling straight in with some technically correct defensive shots, Aberystwyth were still hopeful of reaching a defendable total. Roberts and Watson went on the attack against the spin of Morgan Ashton but well placed boundary fielders kept the scoring on check. Aberystwyth limped past a 100 before Steff Rees removed Watson, bowled for a battling 9, to finish with figures of 2-23.

Iestyn Roberts joined his father and showed admirable fortitude in defence against the faster bowlers. Iwan managed the strike expertly and was pushing towards a hard earned 50 when a marginal call for a second run on Kevin Regan’s arm backfired and Iestyn was run out to close Aberystwyth’s innings on 132. Iwan finished as top scorer, 49*, one short of another half century.

Perhaps conscious of how the Aberystwyth batters had found the surface a tricky one to get in on, Aberaeron elected for a more conservative approach to the chase than has been their wont of late. Dave Floyd opened the batting with Steff Rees, with instructions to anchor the innings whilst others scored around him.

That he did, with Steff scoring a run-a-ball 38, with four 4s and a 6s, to take the score past 50 before Omair Syed snuck one through the gate to bowl him with the score on 55. Alex Pitchford sliced his first ball of the season to point where Noa took a fine low catch to leave Omair on a hat-trick. Hywel saw off the hat-trick ball and then dug in with Floyd to prevent any further jitters in a low chase.

As in first innings, the change bowlers with slightly less pace proved very tricky to bat against. Syed and Gareth Lanagan kept things incredibly tight as five maidens in a tense stretch left the game in the balance. Hywel Rees eventually broke the shackles, taking Syed for two fours and two sixes in one over to release the pressure.

The pair took Aberaeron past 100 and looked to be steering the team to a comfortable victory. There was still time for a further twist in the tale as first Floyd’s obdurate vigil was ended by Noa Jones, LBW for 19 from an impressive 95 balls. Then Noa removed Hywel too, caught by Mel Jones for a joint top score of 38.

115-4 quickly became 115-5 as Kevin Regan departed LBW for 0 to hand the impressive Noa his third wicket and suddenly the match was in the balance again. Ted Trewella, last seasons batting hero for Aberaeron, saw the team home but not before an act of sportsmanship from Aberystwyth allowed him to do so.

Ted was given out LBW by umpire Pat Cullen but captain Jim Vaughn recalled Ted having heard a clear inside edge from slip. In a tight finish it is heartening to see the spirit of cricket can still flourish. Ted and Neil Snowdon took the Aberaeron score to level with Aberystwyth and Snowy hit a four to seal a 5 wicket victory.

Aberaeron open their campaign with a herd fought victory against an Aberystwyth side blending promising youth and experienced campaigners. Noa Jones (3-28) Iwan Roberts (49*) Paul Hughes (2-18) and Steff Rees (2-28 and 38runs) all deserve a mention but player of the match was undoubtedly Hywel Rees with 5-28 and 38 crucial runs.